Celebrating Thanksgiving
In a world where doom-and-gloom headlines dominate, the words “environment” and “problem” have become synonymous.
There’s the problem of pollinator loss, including the vast swaths of bees, butterflies, bats, and birds that have vanished in recent decades. There’s the problem of water pollution and water shortages. The problem of encroaching diseases like beech bark disease and white-nose syndrome. Endangered species and invasive species. Plastics and microplastics. Ozone deterioration. Monoculturization. Deforestation. Degradation, and those numerous other -ations that keep a person up at night.
And, of course, there exists the most foreboding problem of all in climate change.
The issues fall like a January blizzard: unavoidable, accumulating, and impossible to see through.
While these problems are indeed critical to address, this constant bombardment of negativity can prove counterproductive. How can we be motivated to practice environmental stewardship when the central refrain humming in our ears tells us our actions are destined to fail? How can we glimpse light when we’re standing in the shadows of such massive, looming threats?
Perhaps conservation initiatives would be better served if more voice were given to the positive aspects underlaying the bad—if we started to think of the environment less as a problem to be solved and more of something worth celebrating.
Michigan, in many ways, is a land defined by its wealth of natural resources. Take one look at its sweeping scenery of dense woods or pristine shorelines and this will be evident enough. 90% of the UP is forested, with an estimated 14 billion trees statewide. Our landscape is geologically rich, including in mineral and ore deposits. Most notably, we’re afforded an abundance of water, not only in our 35,000 inland lakes and ponds and 49,000 miles of rivers and streams, but also in our proximity to the Great Lakes, which together hold a tremendous 21% of the world’s fresh water.
Even amid environmental crises, there are trends to celebrate. Just this May, 36 species were removed from Michigan’s threatened and endangered species list, including the prairie warbler, yellow-throated warbler, and red-shouldered hawk. Following a pathway laid out by the MI Healthy Climate Plan, our state is on its way to reaching 100% carbon neutrality by 2050. These advancements aside, Michigan has been coined a climate change haven by academics and researchers, with many touting it as one of the best places in the world to live when measuring for extreme heat, wildfires, extreme weather events such as drought or flooding, and general climate change preparedness.
Closer to home, Manistique’s Lakeshore Campground is undergoing a nine-acre expansion (including the development of a trailhead along US-2) after receiving $345,000 in DNR funding. Other developments are planned for Manistique’s old Ramada Inn building and its surrounding woods with the goal of revitalizing the local economy while offering outdoor recreational and educational opportunities.
As we observe Thanksgiving, it’s worth taking a moment to remember these and the many other environmental blessings we have to be grateful for. Speaking on behalf of the Schoolcraft Conservation District, among these blessings is you the community who continues to support us as we strive toward a more sustainable future. Thank you for making our work possible.
There’s the problem of pollinator loss, including the vast swaths of bees, butterflies, bats, and birds that have vanished in recent decades. There’s the problem of water pollution and water shortages. The problem of encroaching diseases like beech bark disease and white-nose syndrome. Endangered species and invasive species. Plastics and microplastics. Ozone deterioration. Monoculturization. Deforestation. Degradation, and those numerous other -ations that keep a person up at night.
And, of course, there exists the most foreboding problem of all in climate change.
The issues fall like a January blizzard: unavoidable, accumulating, and impossible to see through.
While these problems are indeed critical to address, this constant bombardment of negativity can prove counterproductive. How can we be motivated to practice environmental stewardship when the central refrain humming in our ears tells us our actions are destined to fail? How can we glimpse light when we’re standing in the shadows of such massive, looming threats?
Perhaps conservation initiatives would be better served if more voice were given to the positive aspects underlaying the bad—if we started to think of the environment less as a problem to be solved and more of something worth celebrating.
Michigan, in many ways, is a land defined by its wealth of natural resources. Take one look at its sweeping scenery of dense woods or pristine shorelines and this will be evident enough. 90% of the UP is forested, with an estimated 14 billion trees statewide. Our landscape is geologically rich, including in mineral and ore deposits. Most notably, we’re afforded an abundance of water, not only in our 35,000 inland lakes and ponds and 49,000 miles of rivers and streams, but also in our proximity to the Great Lakes, which together hold a tremendous 21% of the world’s fresh water.
Even amid environmental crises, there are trends to celebrate. Just this May, 36 species were removed from Michigan’s threatened and endangered species list, including the prairie warbler, yellow-throated warbler, and red-shouldered hawk. Following a pathway laid out by the MI Healthy Climate Plan, our state is on its way to reaching 100% carbon neutrality by 2050. These advancements aside, Michigan has been coined a climate change haven by academics and researchers, with many touting it as one of the best places in the world to live when measuring for extreme heat, wildfires, extreme weather events such as drought or flooding, and general climate change preparedness.
Closer to home, Manistique’s Lakeshore Campground is undergoing a nine-acre expansion (including the development of a trailhead along US-2) after receiving $345,000 in DNR funding. Other developments are planned for Manistique’s old Ramada Inn building and its surrounding woods with the goal of revitalizing the local economy while offering outdoor recreational and educational opportunities.
As we observe Thanksgiving, it’s worth taking a moment to remember these and the many other environmental blessings we have to be grateful for. Speaking on behalf of the Schoolcraft Conservation District, among these blessings is you the community who continues to support us as we strive toward a more sustainable future. Thank you for making our work possible.